The Olympic movement is on the verge of a watershed moment as the International Olympic Committee seeks legal advice on banning all Russian athletes from the Rio Games.

So say former World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound and Hayley Wickenheiser, a five-time Olympic medallist and member of the IOC Athletes Commission.

“We’ve got institutionalized, government-organized cheating on a wide scale across a whole range of sports in a country,” Pound told Postmedia on Tuesday.

“You’ve got to send a message that will deter that conduct. One of the ways you can do that is to say, 'We just don’t want to play with you any more. You’re cheating. You’re destroying the competitions in which you’re participating. It’s not fair to anybody else. So why don’t you take a vacation?’”

Pound’s comments follow an independent investigation led by Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor at Western University, at the request of WADA. McLaren's damning report, released Monday, says Russia implemented a sophisticated doping cover-up system in the aftermath of winning just three gold, five silver and seven bronze medals at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Russia led the medal table four years later at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with 13 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze.

“This is a state-sponsored, systemic issue,” Wickenheiser said. “The only measure showing strong leadership would be to ban the nation of Russia. If there are clean athletes in Russia, it’s hard to believe there are many based on what the McLaren report stated and the fact 30 sports were involved with hundreds of athletes.

“For me, this is the way to show leadership. This is the way to set a precedent that we are truly protecting the clean athletes of the world.”

In a written statement issued Tuesday, the IOC said it is considering legal options regarding a ban of all Russian athletes in Rio. The committee is waiting for a Court of Arbitration for Sport decision Thursday on an appeal from Russian track and field athletes already banished from Rio due to rampant doping infractions in their country.

The CAS heard evidence Tuesday on behalf of 68 athletes who believe their individual right to compete is violated by the IAAF ban.

Pound cautioned that any sanctions against Russia must be deemed legal by the court, but he said doing nothing is a statement in itself.

“I think the Olympics have to be very careful having said for so long, 'We have zero tolerance, zero tolerance, zero tolerance,’" Pound said. “You’ve got to keep from turning that into, 'We have zero tolerance except for Russia.’ That could go south very quickly if it’s not handled properly. But, on the other hand, if you do take the tough line and walk the walk as well as talking the talk, I think a significant portion of the world would be very pleased.”

The IOC also pledged Tuesday to:

— Investigate all Russian athletes who competed at the Sochi Olympics, along with their coaches, officials and support staff, including a re-analysis of all athlete urine samples.

— Freeze their backing of any international sporting events in Russia. With winter sports, the IOC has already asked international federations to look for alternate sites for World Cups and world championships.

— Deny Rio accreditation to any Russian ministry of sport official or any person implicated in the McLaren report.

— Ask the World Anti-Doping Agency to extend McLaren’s mandate to naming athletes who had positive tests “disappear” or dirty urine samples swapped out for clean ones at the Sochi Games.

“As an athlete who competed in Sochi — and I’m sure other athletes feel this way — it makes you angry that you went to an Olympic Games and a nation, right under everyone’s nose, was cheating in sports right across the board,” Wickenheiser said.

“It leaves a sickening feeling in your stomach when you think of it.”

Wickenheiser, 37, remembers feeling uneasy upon landing in Sochi. Fears of terrorism dominated the headlines after two suicide bombings a month earlier in nearby Volgograd killed at least 31 people.

“They pulled off a magnificent Olympics in this cordoned off area — whatever range of miles it was,” Wickenheiser said. “When you look back, you realize it was probably too sanitized. They were controlling everything, including the performances of the athletes. That’s not what the Olympic values are to me.”

The IOC, Pound says, has a chance to uphold the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence by taking a stand on Russia — and the time to act is now.

“We’re getting within almost two weeks of the games,” he said. “Somebody has to decide pretty quickly. You can’t let it drag on and on and on and on.”